Chapter 6 - THE FAMILY DINNER THAT BECAME A WAR
My father called another family dinner.
This time, I arrived without an apron.
Alexander came with me.
The room went silent when we entered.
My mother stared at our joined hands.
Logan looked furious.
Vanessa whispered something to her husband.
My father stood.
"Thank you for coming."
I sat.
Alexander sat beside me.
My father placed a stack of documents on the table.
"There's something everyone needs to know."
Logan immediately interrupted.
"Dad—"
"No."
My father looked at him.
"I'm finished protecting you."
Logan's face changed.
My mother closed her eyes.
My father began explaining everything.
The fifty thousand dollars.
The shell companies.
The missing millions.
The trust.
Victor Kane.
By the time he finished, nobody spoke.
Then Logan laughed.
"You believe her?"
I looked at him.
He pointed at me.
"She manipulated all of you."
Alexander calmly opened his briefcase.
"Actually, Logan, we have bank records."
Logan froze.
"Those can be forged."
Marcus entered the room.
He placed another folder on the table.
"These came directly from the bank."
Logan's face drained.
My mother suddenly stood.
"You don't understand."
I looked at her.
"Then explain it."
She began crying.
Not quietly.
Not gracefully.
She broke down.
"I was trying to save this family."
"You destroyed it."
"I thought Logan would change."
"He stole from Dad."
"I know."
The admission stunned everyone.
My father looked at her.
"You knew?"
She nodded.
"I knew."
Logan stared at her.
"Mom?"
She turned toward him.
"I spent years protecting you."
His expression became almost childlike.
"Why?"
"Because your father never wanted you to fail."
My father whispered.
"And Emma?"
My mother couldn't answer.
That silence hurt more than anything.
Then Alexander stood.
"There is one final issue."
He handed my father a document.
"Hayes Conglomerate is withdrawing the bailout."
My father stared.
"What?"
Alexander looked at me.
"I won't invest fifty million dollars into a company controlled by people who lied to my fiancée."
My mother grabbed the table.
"Please."
Alexander remained calm.
"But I will offer another deal."
Everyone stared.
He placed a second contract down.
"I'll buy the company."
Logan shouted.
"You can't!"
"I can."
"Why would you?"
Alexander looked at me.
"Because Emma deserves a future that isn't controlled by her family."
I stared at him.
"Alexander..."
He smiled.
"And because she's going to run it."
The room exploded.
My father looked stunned.
Vanessa cried.
Logan threatened lawsuits.
My mother begged.
But I remained silent.
Then I picked up the contract.
For years, I'd waited for someone to rescue me.
But Alexander wasn't rescuing me.
He was giving me a door.
May you like
I had to decide whether to walk through it.
I signed.
